Homeland bids tearful adieu to Rajesh; Funeral held with state honours

VIZHINJAM: “Can you please show my father’s face for one last time?” Even Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan could not hold back his tears hearing this desperate plea from the teen who lost his father to the flash floods that hit Cherupuzha in Kannur.

The Chief Minister was visiting the house of Rajesh, an expert swimmer who died in the floods while on rescue operation duty in Cherupuzha, Kannur. Rajesh drowned after he handed his life jacket to another person who didn't know how to swim.

The Chief Minister, who had come to offer a wreath to the dead body and console Rajesh’s children, was at a loss for words. The visuals showed the chief minister walking out from the house weeping bitterly.

The body was cremated at 1:30 am at the house premises near the resting place of Rajesh’s brother. Earlier, there was a public viewing at the Kalliyoor Thettivila Primary Health Centre compound. The cremation took place after a police guard of honour as an official honour.

While bringing the body from Kannur on Tuesday, the ambulance broke down on a flooded road in Thiruvalla. Later, the journey continued in another ambulance.

Many people were waiting since morning to take a look at the body and pay their last respects. Ministers Sunny Joseph, P.C. Vishnunath, MLAs M.Vincent, V.Joy, K.N. Balagopal, CPM leaders former minister V.Sivankutty, M.V.Jayarajan, E.P. Jayarajan, M.Vijayakumar, Kadakampally Surendran, V.K.Prashanth, BJP State General Secretary S.Suresh, Rural District President Mukkampalammoodu Biju, Neyyattinkara Sanal, District Panchayat member Agnes Rani, Kalliyur Panchayat President Shailaja, Vice President Kakamoola Biju, K.K.Chantukrishna, offered their last respects. Many prominent figures from the political and social sectors, including Somasekharan Nair, P. Rajalakshmi, and K. Vasundharan, paid their last respects.